West Seneca, N.Y. (WBEN) - Despite an impending lake effect snowstorm set to hit the Western New York region late Thursday night into Friday morning, people lined up in their cars Thursday morning to donate their extra turkeys during the annual "Turkeys for Tickets" drive to directly benefit the Buffalo City Mission and FeedMore WNY.
"It's awesome. Buffalo, the people here are so generous," said Wegmans volunteer Laurie Riso. "They always come out every year to support FeedMore WNY. That's what it's all about. We all come together, and it's all about helping people and feeding people who really need our help."
While Thursday's turkey drive started at 7 a.m. EST at three locations across the region - KeyBank Surface Lot, Wegmans on Alberta Drive in Amherst and Wegmans on Orchard Park Road in West Seneca - donations started to be collected early, as soon as 6:30 a.m. EST with people eager to donate their turkeys to help members of the community.
"This is actually one of our favorite events here, just to see the community come out and everyone is just so happy to be donating turkeys," said Lauren Picone, government affairs manager with FeedMore WNY. "These will go right out to our agencies, we have about 300 in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties, and this is just one of the best events and it really helps us kind of fill their bellies."
While the event has not changed much over the years since its inception, those who volunteer have noticed that it seems to get better with every holiday season.
"People wanted to be here. I mean, even in the days leading up to it, it's like, 'When are we hearing about this event?', because I think most people prepare for it and they love the exchange at this time of year," said Sabres in-game host and co-host of "Sabres Live" on WGR, Brian Duff.
It was a steady flow of cars throughout the morning in West Seneca with people dropping off turkeys and other items for FeedMore WNY and the Buffalo City Mission that will help families in need.
For every 20-pound turkey dropped off, or the equivalent of a 20-pound turkey this year, the Sabres were giving the donor one voucher, good for two tickets to an upcoming Sabres home game. However, many of the people the volunteers were interacting with were just happy to contribute.
"They love coming out, coming together and just helping the community. Helping people who need the help, and it's what Buffalo is all about," Riso said.
"The over-generosity of some, I mean, they try to do as much as they can, and that's always very much on display. It's incredibly appreciated," added Duff.
According to Picone, they had close to 700 turkeys donated to the location in West Seneca, with similar numbers expected for both locations in Buffalo and Amherst. The folks at FeedMore WNY and everyone helping out with the event are more than thankful for the community's contribution to helping those in need during the "Season of Giving".
"Hunger is not just in the holidays, it's 365 days a year. So we're really thankful people come out during the holiday season, but it's important to remember that this happens constantly and to always kind of be looking out for our neighbors," Picone said. "Western New York is always really incredible with that, and they're always looking to give back. We have so many partners right directly in their community, so they just want to reach out to those local pantries, those soup kitchens, and see what they can do to lend an extra hand."